The Magic of Luxor private studio apartment on the rooftop

I had a perfect stay at Mahmoud apartment. The place has one of the nicest terraces I've seen in Egypt, with a beautiful view over the Nile and Luxor Temple as well as the mountains. The apartment is completely isolated and private and at the same time you are at a five minutes walking distance from the ferry departure. It had an excellent working shower, hot water, a bath, a small kitchen and air conditioning working perfectly well.

If you have a moving disability, be aware it's 4 floors by stairs, which I didn't mind.

Truth be told, the 360 degrees rooftop view (5th floor) is the best I ever had in Luxor, West Bank. On one side you can enjoy a view on the East Bank, The Nile, with his magnificent sailing boats, the West Bank and Luxor temple (illuminated at night). On the other side you have a magnificent view over the mountains (also illuminated) in the direction of the Colossi of Memnon. You can even get a glimpse of The Temple of Hatsjepsoet if you look closely. The rooftop is equipped with chairs, tables, lounge banks and table. It also has a sink. This is all covered with a shelter from the sun and a ventilator. The studio (and the rooftop), kitchen and bathroom were extremely clean wich is always nice when you arrive. The owner and his family were very warm, helpfull and welcoming. They also can provide extra services if needed, such as sightseeing tours, local tours, local food, balloon rides, guiding, ... .

The kitchen was equipped very poorly. 1 little old pan with a semi-detached handle and a hole in it (dangerous). The terras could use some plants :)

The hosts, Dr Mohmed and his lovely wife are helpful and responsive. She brought all the items I asked for, for example, a hairdryer, on request. They are happy to get you involved in their family activities, if you wish it. If you want any historic tours you can easily arrange with Dr Mohmed and he can be your driver too. The views from the roof terrace are stunning.

The apartment is comfortable enough, slowly being refurbished to raise the standard. The bathroom shower attachments need attention, but I got by with the bath tub. Please put a bathmat on the floor as the tiles are terribly slippery. Only minor tweaks could improve my experience. A full long mirror would be advantageous for dressing, and hanging space with coat-hangers in the main wardrobe. Other facilities, the amazing environment and location made up for this lack. You can certainly enjoy a feel of the local culture walking to and from the apartment.

The view on the picture shows only half of the reality. But that's not a problem.

I asked the owner, before arrival, to please advise how to get to his building from the boat stop (which is just 5 min walking distance). The owner said first : when are you going to book my hot balloon and day tours in luxor? I answered: I have been to Luxor, but can you please tell me first how to get to your apartment? The owner : 8USD for the pick up... He gave the official address subsequently, but that was not the right one... Those place have no address... So I managed to get the building, of course no one was there, fortunately local people helped by calling the owner. In winter, the temperature can drop very low in desert. At night luxor can be really cold. The room has a badly done insulation, the owner provides only one quilt. So hot in summer and very cold in winter. TV and frig on the picture are just for decoration purposes... Broken shower see picture ... Not even toilet paper is provided, which is the minimum. Forget about the kitchen... In fact I had the impression everything is empty inside, just for decor for picture to get the tourists and to sell them tour packages. At first I was planning to stay for 6 days, book 2 tours to deepen my understanding of luxor archeological sites and order breakfasts, but forget it I left... However, the owner had the courage to ask my local Egyptian friends to tell me to give him a good rating. Moral of the story, no moral bad business behavior, maybe Phd, but just a local tour guide eager to get money by all means. Sad. You could at least tell to clients how to arrive safely, provide at least toilette paper or a soap and then sell your tour package. 😑